Characterization, antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of polysaccharides from Ilex latifolia Thunb.

Crude polysaccharides from the leaves of Ilex latifolia Thunb (ILPS) was fractionated by DEAE cellulose-52 chromatography, affording four fractions of ILPS-1, ILPS-2, ILPS-3 and ILPS-4 in the recovery rates of 32.3, 20.6, 18.4 and 10.8%, respectively, based on the amount of crude ILPS used. The four fractions were mainly composed of arabinose and galactose in monosaccharide composition. Compared with ILPS-1 and ILPS-2, ILPS-3 and ILPS-4 had relative higher contents of sulfuric radical and uronic acid. The antioxidant activities in vitro of ILPS decreased in the order of crude ILPS>ILPS-4>ILPS-3>EPS-2>ILPS-1. Furthermore, the administration of crude ILPS significantly prevented the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, reduced the formation of malondialdehyde and enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury mice. The results suggested that ILPS should be a potent natural polymer with antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities.